I Still Think Joining A Fraternity Was One Of The Best Decisions I've Ever Made

Disclosure: I was in a fraternity in college. Further disclosure: It was one of the best decisions I made in my four years on campus.

My second semester at Cornell University — where about a quarter of the campus is Greek — I joined my fraternity, Phi Kappa Tau, living in the house or off-campus with brothers during the next three years. The fraternity became a core part of my social life in college, and I’m still very close friends with many of my brothers.

The common reaction to my fraternity membership from people who weren’t in a house is to dismiss Greek life as a childish indulgence or even destructive.

Fraternities are already starting to self-regulate

Recently, fraternities at the University of Virginia worked with the school’s administration to develop new protocols to increase safety at Greek events, including mandating sober brothers at frat parties and restricting the type of alcohol served.

Fraternities are also stepping up to fight other problems with frats, with eight national organisations banding together last year to announce a program designed to educate members about sexual assault, hazing, and binge drinking.

Bystander intervention trains students to identify and intervene in potentially harmful situations. For example, bystander training teaches students to interject themselves if they see a clearly incapacitated friend being led off into a sexual situation they would likely have no control over.

In my chapter, we went through “Wingman 101,” a university-sponsored training program designed to help male students learn to prevent sexual assault.

Many, if not all, of the fraternities on my campus went through this, learning techniques such as bystander intervention. While we may have heard some of the topics discussed before, I think the program was particularly effective because the conversations were led by other male students, rather than an administrator or authority figure.

These changes arguably make a frat house the safest place on campus to drink, especially compared with other student parties where alcohol and security are not as strictly regulated.

Greeks have higher GPAs at many schools and are more likely to graduate

“The increased likelihoods of graduating on time may stem from Greek members having an added incentive to stay enrolled and keep a minimum GPA, so that they can continue to belong to the organisation,” the study found, according to Pacific Standard magazine.

Greeks are more fulfilled in their professional life

According to Gallup Education Director Brandon H. Busteed, “the overall results suggest that the Greek experience could be beneficial for the vast majority of those involved in it.”

The survey also found that fraternity and sorority members are more likely to be thriving in all of Gallup’s five elements of well-being — purpose, social, financial, community, and physical.

On my fraternity listserve, it was not unusual to get emails sent out to the house from alumni whose companies had openings. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship. The current student hears about a potential job opportunity and the older graduate can recommend someone they know.

Now an alumnus myself, I still get mass emails from my brothers informing us about jobs, or asking if anyone knows somebody at a company they’re applying to.

Greek life is becoming much more diverse

A common argument against Greek life — one that appeared in the Bloomberg editorial — is that fraternities and sororities are homogeneous, a claim that may have been true in the past but is actively changing now.

For another perspective, check out this great guest post in BroBible from a self-styled “Gay Bro,” who notes, “A lot has changed in the past 10 years.”

While there are no firm statistics on the diversity of Greek houses nationally, it appears fraternities are starting to value having a group of brothers who don’t all look the same.

Speaking from my own four years in a fraternity, the makeup of my house shifted during my tenure, with openly gay brothers in the house and seemingly increased racial diversity.

Joining a Greek organisation can help fight loneliness and depression

For many students, the first year college can be difficult because you’re separated from your family and close friends for the first time. To combat this, experts suggest socializing to avoid depression.

Especially on a large college campus, where Greek life tends to be most popular, fraternities can offer a home away from home for students who might otherwise feel lost in the crowd.

College can be a tricky time for anyone, myself included, and a fraternity is often a built-in support system for students who are struggling. I know it made my college years a lot easier knowing there was a place on campus where I would always be welcome — and a group of guys who would always have my back.